By: by Mark Toma
Box Score
FORT MYERS, Fla. – Redshirt freshman Markeith Cummings scored 30 points, but it was a pair of clutch free-throws by Kurtis Woods in the final minute that lifted Kennesaw State to a, 69-68, win over Florida Gulf Coast on Friday night at Alico Arena.
The Owls (7-12, 2-6 A-Sun) snapped their five-game Atlantic Sun Conference losing streak with an offensive barrage that saw the Black and Gold connect on 12-of-22 three-pointers. KSU connected on 12 three-pointers for the second consecutive game, the most since hitting 12 against Belmont and season-high 19 against Lipscomb in back-to-back games in December.
Kennesaw State appeared to be cruising towards its seventh win of the season as they led by 20 points with just over 10 minutes left in the game. However, turnovers and an increasingly effective Eagles offense led to a 24-3 FGCU run over the next nine minutes to take a 68-67 lead with one minute remaining.
Woods, who made one of two free-throws on the night, stepped to the free-throw line with 40 seconds left and made a pair of foul shots to give the Owls a 69-68 lead. Woods, who finished with 15 points, would come up big again for the Owls on the defensive end when he stripped Florida Gulf Coast’s Derrick O’Neil.
After a missed free-throw, the Eagles had a final chance to win the game, but another stellar defensive stand resulted in a Reggie Chambers turnover as the Black and Gold won for the second time in three games.
Cummings (12-for-20) was literally all of the Kennesaw State offense early in the game as he scored the first 17 points of the game and ended up with 21 points at intermission as the Black and Gold led 44-32.
Kennesaw State shot 57.8 percent from the field, their best shooting night since shooting 63.6 percent against Lipscomb on Dec. 5 at the KSU Convocation Center and the first time they have connected on better than 50 percent from the field in their last 10 games.
The prolific three-point shooting of Kennesaw State helped the Owls overcome a 14-5 margin at the foul line. FGCU connected on just 14-of-27 from the foul line, leaving the door open for the Black and Gold, who made just 5-of-10 free-throws on the night.
Anthony Banks scored 18 points to lead Florida Gulf Coast while Chambers added 16, as they were the only Eagles players to score in double figures. O’Neil had a game-high 10 rebounds.
The Owls will be back in action on Sunday afternoon when they battle Stetson at 2:00 p.m. in DeLand, Fla. The game can be heard live on 920 am WGKA and on-line at www.920WGKA.com. Jason Hanes and Art Eckman will call the action beginning with the pregame show at 1:30 p.m.
